BANDAI NAMCO "Unable to Summon Cooperator" Bug

[Mogsworth]

Thus far I am approaching 80 hours in Elden Ring, and have only managed to summon a cooperator ONE time. I have lost count how many attempts I have made to summon folks - most the time after being crushed by a bosses and needing the little boost. Every time I get the same error instantly, and it's not that they are being summoned by others. I have tried to summon the same people on several occasions, and each time no avail.

I work in IT, so my hours are all over the place - so I have played this game during peak hours and in the dead of the morning. I have enabled cross-region matchmaking to enlarge my pool - same issue no matter. I have good internet, low ping, wired connect, brand new High-end computer, no background processes that shouldn't be, firewall exceptions made, and I play MMOs and online games all the time.

This is straight up a bug. I know a lot of people are suffering this same issue too. I've had all the network bugs that have been reported, including the game occasionally dropping connection to their server (booting me out of the game in mid gameplay, forcing me to logon offline), issues with Elden Ring saves uploading to steam (have had to upload more recent local saves twice), and messages failing to update or even load.

Online all there are is a bunch of videos from streamers/youtubers suggesting you farm items so you can craft endless furcalling finger remedies to 'keep trying' - and big sight like IGN pretending that if you have this issue it's because you need to follow a 5 step guide explaining to you how to connect a cable to the back of you're computer... or that "ur iternetz, they suk poor prsn'.

At this point, I've been forced to get EXTRA gud to beat stuff just to progress past the super bosses that where clearly designed with the games multiplayer in mind. A lot of farming souls...er I mean runes, just to get past some of that (sometimes even needing to cheese stuff).

I'm just putting this out here because I don't know how customer service could help me with this issue, and I'm tired of big websites and their snooty little editor kiddos writing posts blaming peoples connections for not being able to play with a single player, in a small area for 5 minutes, in a that doesn't look much better than the original Dark Souls.

It's even more odd, considering I actually play several of Bandai Namco's other online games and they work great - and before they disabled the online function in the other souls games, I didn't have this issue either. I know it's still really early in the games release, so these issues could be resolved, but given this only effects some people and not others (and the media keeps blaming user incompetence)....

Anyway. Here's my mandatory complaint post. If anymore else is having this issue, just know you're not crazy, and it [probably] isn't you're router or internet. But like I said: at the very least, I'm being forced to 'get gud-er'.

[Kyutaru]

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

[32x32 Riker jpeg]

Also Bandi Namco doesn't actually moderate these forums at all, you have to go to their support website if you actually want them to read your complaints.

[Mogsworth]

Escrito originalmente por 32x32 Riker jpeg:

Also Bandi Namco doesn't actually moderate these forums at all, you have to go to their support website if you actually want them to read your complaints. :cupup:

Thanks Riker, that is why you will always be Number ONE in my books!

Though I mostly complained here as a legar for others who are having this issues, and automatically be back a post like the one from Kyutaru. Didn't bother to read what Isaid, and like a meme repeated to stuff I complained about in said post about it being my fault for not understanding how a internet connection works, or the old "its not a bug... blah blah, it's just that every single summon in you're 80 hours was gotten to before you, cause of science". lol :)

[Soth]

Eh bruv, where are you in the game and what level are you? Have you tried using the group password with friends, or private password with a friend or 2 to see if that works? I'd be willing to try if i have access to the area you are at.

[Eventide]

So basically what you're saying is you have this "bug" but literally for every other person in the world it's like the first response said? It's not a bug there's just *tons* of people trying to play the game and all wanting to summon people.

If anything the "bug" is that it doesn't immediately refresh your world to show you they're gone. However, there's a reason why the signs show as they do.. you typically only see like 3 at a time and once you try to use them and fail with the error it'll force a refresh to show others. You just keep doing this until you get someone.

As for you mentioning the times you're playing, remember that your morning and your "dead of night" aren't the same for everyone... If you're playing in an area that has high player density, you're going to more likely run into this error.

I haven't bothered to play co-op except with a friend. The one time I summoned 2 other people it was for Rennala and I had the same issue for a few summons then just started mashing the summons until it worked and I got 2 people.

Also, yes it's completely possible you could be 80 hours in with two or three hundred attempts with only 1 success.. you just have bad luck.

[InstableMonster]

Escrito originalmente por 😺FurrMeister🐹:

Escrito originalmente por Kyutaru:

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

Did you read my post. lol. It has nothing to do with the coop sign being summoned. I've tried to summon people over and over in the dead of night on several occasions. By you're logic, 80 hours in, perhaps two or three hundred summon attempts - it's just that they are all busy?

Dude, game is so recent you put your sign down in front of milenia and you get summoned in 3sec even though your sign appears in multiple people's game. Cant exactly play my toon in 5 separate games at once.

As for reading your post, yes. It shows a critical lack of understanding of timezones and a profound need to ignore the most blatant reason to your issue on the fact that you work in IT and that it could never happen to you.

[Kyutaru]

Escrito originalmente por 😺FurrMeister🐹:

Escrito originalmente por Kyutaru:

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

Did you read my post. lol. It has nothing to do with the coop sign being summoned. I've tried to summon people over and over in the dead of night on several occasions. By you're logic, 80 hours in, perhaps two or three hundred summon attempts - it's just that they are all busy?

Not only did I experience the same problem and the same confusion, I actually did research on the cause and figured out how to solve it. It's - literally - speed. I tested it repeatedly too. I will STILL fail to get summons many times but if I get to the rune swiftly I get the summon. It's purely the overwhelming competition of 900k players causing the problems. YES - THEY ARE ALL BUSY BECAUSE THEY WERE SUMMONED IN LESS THAN 3 SECONDS AND YOU GOT TO THEM TOO LATE! Every time someone drops a gold summon sign there are 20 people trying to summon that person immediately and 19 of them get the Unable to Summon Cooperator message. Spam faster or ask for help and use passwords.

I'm literally succeeding most of my summon attempts now that I know how the process works and how to hover over where gold signs appear waiting for the next to spawn. I spam the R2 button until it grabs me a confirmation window -- AND IT WORKS.

Next.

[Soth]

Escrito originalmente por Eventide:

So basically what you're saying is you have this "bug" but literally for every other person in the world it's like the first response said? It's not a bug there's just *tons* of people trying to play the game and all wanting to summon people.

If anything the "bug" is that it doesn't immediately refresh your world to show you they're gone. However, there's a reason why the signs show as they do.. you typically only see like 3 at a time and once you try to use them and fail with the error it'll force a refresh to show others. You just keep doing this until you get someone.

As for you mentioning the times you're playing, remember that your morning and your "dead of night" aren't the same for everyone... If you're playing in an area that has high player density, you're going to more likely run into this error.

I haven't bothered to play co-op except with a friend. The one time I summoned 2 other people it was for Rennala and I had the same issue for a few summons then just started mashing the summons until it worked and I got 2 people.

Also, yes it's completely possible you could be 80 hours in with two or three hundred attempts with only 1 success.. you just have bad luck.

Just to add on to some perspective, if you look at the achievment status of bosses killed, the majority of people who own the game haven't played for 80 hours yet / probably aren't as far as you, so your relative summoning pool will be smaller.

[Mogsworth]

Escrito originalmente por ֍:

Eh bruv, where are you in the game and what level are you? Have you tried using the group password with friends, or private password with a friend or 2 to see if that works? I'd be willing to try if i have access to the area you are at.

Right now I'm level 63. I was higher level, but I re-wiped and started a new character. I'm trying to get past the Draconic Tree Sentinel. I've almost had him twice but he gets me. If I can't beat him right now, that's fine - but I just want to actually summon someone.

It's getting lonely bro. lol.

I didn't know there was a group or private password system.

[Just Endi]

ive been experiencing this as well and personally i do believe there may be a bug or some connection issue. id understand something like this happening before important fog walls like margit, but in a random cave in a late game area? doubt it.

[Soth]

Escrito originalmente por Ayclay:

Escrito originalmente por Kyutaru:

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

Pin this reply. I only get summons when I immediately click through the text bar, you can't stop to choose the coolest name (unfortunately).

The summon pool seems like it's supposed to fix this but I don't understand how to use it exactly...

Summoning pin puts your summon sign at all available summoning pools you have activated. I have never been summoned to a pool in someone else's world that I hadn't activated in mine.

[InstableMonster]

Escrito originalmente por Ayclay:

Escrito originalmente por Kyutaru:

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

Pin this reply. I only get summons when I immediately click through the text bar, you can't stop to choose the coolest name (unfortunately).

The summon pool seems like it's supposed to fix this but I don't understand how to use it exactly...

I dont think the summoning pool fixes the issue as much as it makes it worse.

If i understand summoning pools correctly they just allow you to see signs from people who want to be summoned near other summoning pool. If anyone is more clear about how it works please explain, its a thing that is not clearly explained.

[WastingSanity]

Either sitting down at the grace or relogging seems to fix this issue if you are trying to summon a specific group person.

[ledRid]

Escrito originalmente por 😺FurrMeister🐹:

Escrito originalmente por Kyutaru:

Not a bug. If someone else summons that cooperator first, you get the message Unable to Summon Cooperator because they have already been paired. When I drop a gold sign, I'm summoned in less than 3 seconds from some spots. You simply aren't fast enough to summon and need to basically sit on the rune and activate it the second you see it.

That's quite LITERALLY all it is. The speed at which you're getting to the gold signs and other players nabbing high priority coop partners before you. It's been proven and it's why you can barely summon anyone at the tough bosses while it's super easy to summon them at the easy bosses.

Did you read my post. lol. It has nothing to do with the coop sign being summoned. I've tried to summon people over and over in the dead of night on several occasions. By you're logic, 80 hours in, perhaps two or three hundred summon attempts - it's just that they are all busy?

did you ever try putting down your summon sign to see how fast YOU was summoned? or are you just making assumptions that there is no one summoning anyone in a hugely anticipated game not long after launch?

[Soth]

Escrito originalmente por 😺FurrMeister🐹:

Escrito originalmente por ֍:

Eh bruv, where are you in the game and what level are you? Have you tried using the group password with friends, or private password with a friend or 2 to see if that works? I'd be willing to try if i have access to the area you are at.

Right now I'm level 63. I was higher level, but I re-wiped and started a new character. I'm trying to get past the Draconic Tree Sentinel. I've almost had him twice but he gets me. If I can't beat him right now, that's fine - but I just want to actually summon someone.

It's getting lonely bro. lol.

I didn't know there was a group or private password system.

Yeah if you go into the multiplayer menu look to the right. Press Y to change the password settings, private password locks you to only see players with the same private password. Group password prioritizes other people with the group passwords but doesn't exclude open / no password folks.